News

First announces major bus service changes

YORK’S biggest bus operator has announced a series of major service changes, following a public consultation.

First says it has listened to customers and is making the network improvements from September 29 to meet their needs.

A spokesman said the changes included additional journeys between Haxby and York, with four arrivals in the centre by 9am.

Service 13 from Haxby to Copmanthorpe has an unchanged route and frequency, but the timetable has been amended to improve reliability.

Additional journeys between Haxby and York will be provided by new service 13A which will extend to Acomb via the present service 16 route and Tudor Road on outward journeys meaning there will be two buses an hour from Monday to Saturday daytime between Haxby and York, and vice-versa.

He said there would be three extra early morning Service 2 buses to York Railway Station from Clifton Moor, via Rawcliffe Bar, and Service 4 would now operate at frequent intervals between Acomb, York City Centre and the University of YorkHeslington East campus.

“This change restores the link to the University and in the Acomb area, addresses a number of points raised in public consultations. It increases the frequency from the south of Acomb to Front Street and removes the confusion around inter linking with service 5.”

He revealed more than 600 people had given their views during the consultation, which included eight meetings and an online survey, and First had gone through all the feedback to use as the base for improvements.

Simon Pearson, commercial director for First in York, said: “This is the beginning of a new and exciting journey for First in York.

“Our aim is to grow the number of people using First buses in York and we believe that by listening to what our customers and the wider York communities say then we are in a stronger position to achieve this in the future.

“We plan to make further positive announcements in the next few weeks which I believe will change the perception of many people towards bus travel in the city.”

Coun Dave Merrett, City of York Council’s Transport Cabinet Member, said: “This is great news for York bus users and we’re delighted that First has taken these steps, has listened to customers’ views and are now making these significant changes.”

Are you planning on bringing down fares? or will we be seeing more increases in these announcements?

Why did you change the schedules/routes etc in the first place when everything was working? But as always you get good bus services and instead of keeping them they get changed and messed up. The day we see First York do anything right will be the day that they leave York!

Are you planning on bringing down fares? or will we be seeing more increases in these announcements?
Why did you change the schedules/routes etc in the first place when everything was working? But as always you get good bus services and instead of keeping them they get changed and messed up. The day we see First York do anything right will be the day that they leave York!smiler45

Currently moved to the Beckfield lane area and we are finding the buses shocking. Our last location we used the number 4 and were on the whole very happy with its service compared to the number 14 &10 now.
We now find that we can only go into town after a certain time and once in town on an evening there are no buses back !!! We therefore have to relay on a taxi home as we don't drive and this isn't cheap, and we can't afford to do this so are staying away from the city centre. As for Sundays they are a total no go!!!

Currently moved to the Beckfield lane area and we are finding the buses shocking. Our last location we used the number 4 and were on the whole very happy with its service compared to the number 14 &10 now.
We now find that we can only go into town after a certain time and once in town on an evening there are no buses back !!! We therefore have to relay on a taxi home as we don't drive and this isn't cheap, and we can't afford to do this so are staying away from the city centre. As for Sundays they are a total no go!!!Milly80

do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?

do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?TERRIER3

Well done First at least your listening, but a lot of your buses are crap and dirty, as for them running late, well they run late in every town and city in the country its a fact of life, too much traffic and its only going to get worse, i also know because my uncle was a Bus driver in Torquay ( they run late their too ) that when drivers are late off a bus they have to have a minimum legal break which means oftten they cant go to their 2nd bus on time? something like that anyway, people seem to think anyone can drive a bus willy nilly whenever they want

Well done First at least your listening, but a lot of your buses are crap and dirty, as for them running late, well they run late in every town and city in the country its a fact of life, too much traffic and its only going to get worse, i also know because my uncle was a Bus driver in Torquay ( they run late their too ) that when drivers are late off a bus they have to have a minimum legal break which means oftten they cant go to their 2nd bus on time? something like that anyway, people seem to think anyone can drive a bus willy nilly whenever they wantTERRIER3

TERRIER3 wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?

I believe it's the frequency of the 10 and 14 services not the punctuality people were commenting. These only run every half hour, then only the 10 runs in the evening once an hour.

[quote][p][bold]TERRIER3[/bold] wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?[/p][/quote]I believe it's the frequency of the 10 and 14 services not the punctuality people were commenting. These only run every half hour, then only the 10 runs in the evening once an hour.VicMeldrew

TERRIER3 wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?

I believe it's the frequency of the 10 and 14 services not the punctuality people were commenting. These only run every half hour, then only the 10 runs in the evening once an hour.

ah, i see, i think the 10 used to be every 20 mins? i do remember catching the 10 to dunnington and having to stand all the way, perhaps it should be every 20 mins again, and it changing to transdev on a night is a farce too

[quote][p][bold]VicMeldrew[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]TERRIER3[/bold] wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?[/p][/quote]I believe it's the frequency of the 10 and 14 services not the punctuality people were commenting. These only run every half hour, then only the 10 runs in the evening once an hour.[/p][/quote]ah, i see, i think the 10 used to be every 20 mins? i do remember catching the 10 to dunnington and having to stand all the way, perhaps it should be every 20 mins again, and it changing to transdev on a night is a farce tooTERRIER3

chelk wrote:
Nice to see they say they are listening are they going to make their buses cleaner on some of them it would be more hygienic to travel in a Skip

And who makes them dirty

[quote][p][bold]chelk[/bold] wrote:
Nice to see they say they are listening are they going to make their buses cleaner on some of them it would be more hygienic to travel in a Skip[/p][/quote]And who makes them dirtydaveyboy25

TERRIER3 wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?

Water End has been closed for a week. The 10 & 14 service has been unreliable for a lot longer than that. We get no 14 service on an evening or Sunday and the 10 only hourly at these times. It's the number of buses per hour that needs changing.

[quote][p][bold]TERRIER3[/bold] wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?[/p][/quote]Water End has been closed for a week. The 10 & 14 service has been unreliable for a lot longer than that. We get no 14 service on an evening or Sunday and the 10 only hourly at these times. It's the number of buses per hour that needs changing.lels

TERRIER3 wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?

Water End has been closed for a week. The 10 &amp; 14 service has been unreliable for a lot longer than that. We get no 14 service on an evening or Sunday and the 10 only hourly at these times. It's the number of buses per hour that needs changing.

The TIMETABLE states there are no 14s at night and a 10 once an hour at night, which by the way is operated by Transdev, so how does that make them unreliable? they dont turn up because there not supposed to turn up?

[quote][p][bold]lels[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]TERRIER3[/bold] wrote:
do people live in bubble? yes the 10s and 14s are terrible at the moment, but do you travel with your eyes shut, the fact that water end is shut town bound is leading to traffic backing up to that junction hence traffic is queing all the way into town, then once through town theres some more roadworks with temporary lights at the junction of Hull road and melrosegate, or perhaps you think they should fly over all this traffic?[/p][/quote]Water End has been closed for a week. The 10 & 14 service has been unreliable for a lot longer than that. We get no 14 service on an evening or Sunday and the 10 only hourly at these times. It's the number of buses per hour that needs changing.[/p][/quote]The TIMETABLE states there are no 14s at night and a 10 once an hour at night, which by the way is operated by Transdev, so how does that make them unreliable? they dont turn up because there not supposed to turn up?TERRIER3

The No.1 from Acomb took 19 minutes to travel from the Holgate windmill stop (08:33) to (an empty) Blossom Street (09:52) yesterday morning. There were no accidents or other obstructions. The total delay was due to a combination of bad traffic light timings and somewhat heavy traffic (though Blossom Street itself was deserted). And this on a sunny morning!

The traffic and bus problems that afflict York are largely of the Council's own devising. Where traffic problems have been solved it's because public opinion forced the Council to back down, kicking and screaming - as at Clifton Green which is now jam-free most of the time.

The No.1 from Acomb took 19 minutes to travel from the Holgate windmill stop (08:33) to (an empty) Blossom Street (09:52) yesterday morning. There were no accidents or other obstructions. The total delay was due to a combination of bad traffic light timings and somewhat heavy traffic (though Blossom Street itself was deserted). And this on a sunny morning!
The traffic and bus problems that afflict York are largely of the Council's own devising. Where traffic problems have been solved it's because public opinion forced the Council to back down, kicking and screaming - as at Clifton Green which is now jam-free most of the time.beechgrover

Clifton Green was improved by changing the traffic light timings and nothing else.

First's changes are a start. There is no mention of the 5, which is currently a shocking service and has been since it started in 2001, and likewise still no improvements for the 12 to Monks Cross - not everybody lives on the route of the Park and Ride to go up there. The extra buses on the 2 in the morning could be as part of the new contract, as the council has only just renewed the contracts for First to run the Park and Ride routes until early 2017 - this includes the Poppleton P&R which will use electric buses.

As First York is currently running a single decker Hybrid bus on trial on the number 6 route, this could mean there are plans for a few more newer buses for the city. If you have used that bus and liked it then let First know (if you didn't like it on the 6 instead of a double decker, let them know that too, as the Hybrids could still show up but be used on single decker routes instead).... There's also a rumour that 5 or 6 Hybrid buses currently in London have been earmarked for York.

More steps in the right direction need to be made for service provision though... such as the number 5 actually arriving at the time stated on the timetable, the timetables showing more than 4 calling points between the two termini of each route, more regular buses on evenings and sundays, to get rid of stupid arrangements in the evening such as the 13 and the 5 to the city centre coming together at 00 mins past each hour then not another bus for an hour, of which both services turn up together again, and not having route numbers changing at the whim of some bloke with maps and felt tip pens who gets bored easily and keeps redrawing bus routes on the maps.

Clifton Green was improved by changing the traffic light timings and nothing else.
First's changes are a start. There is no mention of the 5, which is currently a shocking service and has been since it started in 2001, and likewise still no improvements for the 12 to Monks Cross - not everybody lives on the route of the Park and Ride to go up there. The extra buses on the 2 in the morning could be as part of the new contract, as the council has only just renewed the contracts for First to run the Park and Ride routes until early 2017 - this includes the Poppleton P&R which will use electric buses.
As First York is currently running a single decker Hybrid bus on trial on the number 6 route, this could mean there are plans for a few more newer buses for the city. If you have used that bus and liked it then let First know (if you didn't like it on the 6 instead of a double decker, let them know that too, as the Hybrids could still show up but be used on single decker routes instead).... There's also a rumour that 5 or 6 Hybrid buses currently in London have been earmarked for York.
More steps in the right direction need to be made for service provision though... such as the number 5 actually arriving at the time stated on the timetable, the timetables showing more than 4 calling points between the two termini of each route, more regular buses on evenings and sundays, to get rid of stupid arrangements in the evening such as the 13 and the 5 to the city centre coming together at 00 mins past each hour then not another bus for an hour, of which both services turn up together again, and not having route numbers changing at the whim of some bloke with maps and felt tip pens who gets bored easily and keeps redrawing bus routes on the maps.Magicman!

I never buy a return ticket on First Buses because you cannot guarantee you will even see one for the return journey on the same day. The service I use might as well be scrapped, they come that infrequently and never to timetable. Complete waste of time!

I never buy a return ticket on First Buses because you cannot guarantee you will even see one for the return journey on the same day. The service I use might as well be scrapped, they come that infrequently and never to timetable. Complete waste of time!Mrs H York

Mrs H York wrote:
I never buy a return ticket on First Buses because you cannot guarantee you will even see one for the return journey on the same day. The service I use might as well be scrapped, they come that infrequently and never to timetable. Complete waste of time!

ridiculous, thats all that comment desreves

[quote][p][bold]Mrs H York[/bold] wrote:
I never buy a return ticket on First Buses because you cannot guarantee you will even see one for the return journey on the same day. The service I use might as well be scrapped, they come that infrequently and never to timetable. Complete waste of time![/p][/quote]ridiculous, thats all that comment desrevesTERRIER3